Dramatis Perfonæ. VINCENTIO, Duke of Vienna. Efcalus, Claudio, a young Gentleman. Lucio, a Fantastick. Two Gentlemen. Varrius, a Gentleman, Servant to the Duke. Provost. Thomas, Peter,} A Justice. two Friars. Elbow, a fimple Conftable. Froth, a foolish Gentleman. Clown, Servant to Mrs. Over-done! Abhorfon, an Executioner. Barnardine, a diffolute Prisoner. Ifabella, Sifter to Claudio. Mariana, betrothed to Angelo. Juliet, beloved of Claudio. Francifca, a Nun. Miftrefs Over-done, a Bawd. Guards, Officers, and other Attendants. SCENE, Vienna. MEA DUKE. SCALUS, Duke. Of Government the properties t'unfold, Would feem in me t'affect fpeech and dif courfe. 2 Since I am not to know, that your own Science Exceeds, in that, the lifts of all advice My ftrength can give you: then no more remains: Put The ftory is taken from Cinthio's Novels, December 8. My ftrength can give you: then no more remains: And let them work. ] To the integrity of this reading Mr. Theobald objects, and fays, What was Efcalus to put to his Sufficiency! why his fcience: But his fcience and fufficiency were A a 2 but Put that to your fufficiency, as your worth is able, Of common juftice, y'are as pregnant in, That we remember. There is our Commiffion, What figure of us, think you, he will bear? 4. For you must know, we have with special roll Lent him our Terror, dreft him with our Love; Of our own Power: fay, what think you of it? To undergo fuch ample grace and honour, but one and the fame thing. On what then does the relative them depend? He will have it, therefore, that a line has been accidentally dropt, which he attempts to reftore by due diligence. Nodum in fcirpo quærit. And all for want of knowing, that by Jufficiency is meant authority, the power delegated by the Duke to Efcalus. The plain meaning of the word being this; Put your skill in governing (fays the Duke) to the power which I give you to exercise it, and let them work together. 3 limits. and the terms of common justice,] i. e. bounds, 4 For you must know we have with Special SOUL This nonfenfe must be corrected thus, with Special ROLL i. e. by a fpecial commiffion. For it appears, from this fcene, that Efcalus had one commiffion, and Angelo another. The Duke had before delivered Escalus his commiffion. He now declares that defigned for Angelo: and he fays, afterwards, to both, To th' hopeful execution do I leave you Of your commiffions. Why Angelo's was called the special roll was, because he was in authority fuperior to Efcalus. old Efcalus, Tho' firft in queftion, is thy fecondary. SCENE $ C CENE Enter Angelo. Duke. Look, where he comes. II. Ang. Always obedient to your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure. Duke. Angelo, There is a kind of character in thy life, for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd, But to fine iffues: nor Nature never lends The smallest fcruple of her excellence, But, like a thrifty Goddess, fhe determines Both thanks and ufe. But I do bend my fpeech To one that can 7 my part in him advertise; 5 --for if our virtues, &c.] Paulum fepulta diftat inertia Celata virtus. 6- But I do bend my Speech Horat. To one that can my part in him advertise; ] This is obfcure. The meaning is, I direct my fpeech to one who is able to teach me how to govern: my part in him, fignifying my office, which I have delegated to him. 7 my part in him advertise;] i. e. who knows what appertains to the character of deputy or viceroy. Can advertise my part in him; that is, his reprefentation of my perfon. But all these quaintneffes of expreffion, the Oxford Editor feems fworn to extirpate; that is, to take away one of Shakespear's characteriftic marks; which, if not one of the comlieft, is yet one of the ftrongest. So he alters this to To one that can, in my part, me advertise. A better expreffion indeed, but, for all that, none of Shakespear's. |